🍲 Paella Rice Per Person Calculator
Calculate exactly how much rice you need for any group size
| Guests | Dry Rice (g) | Dry Rice (cups) | Stock (ml) | Stock (cups) | Pan Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 200g | 1 cup | 400ml | 1.7 cups | 26–28 cm |
| 4 | 400g | 2 cups | 800ml | 3.4 cups | 38–40 cm |
| 6 | 600g | 3 cups | 1200ml | 5 cups | 42–45 cm |
| 8 | 800g | 4 cups | 1600ml | 6.8 cups | 50–55 cm |
| 10 | 1000g | 5 cups | 2000ml | 8.5 cups | 55–60 cm |
| 12 | 1200g | 6 cups | 2400ml | 10 cups | 60–65 cm |
| 20 | 2000g | 10 cups | 4000ml | 17 cups | 80–90 cm |
| 50 | 5000g | 25 cups | 10000ml | 42 cups | Multiple pans |
| Dry Rice (g) | Dry Rice (oz) | Cooked Weight (g) | Cooked Volume | Expansion Factor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100g | 3.5 oz | 280–320g | ~300ml | ~3x |
| 200g | 7 oz | 560–640g | ~600ml | ~3x |
| 400g | 14 oz | 1120–1280g | ~1.2L | ~3x |
| 1000g | 35 oz | 2800–3200g | ~3L | ~3x |
| Serving Type | Dry Rice/Person (g) | Dry Rice/Person (oz) | Approx. Cups |
|---|---|---|---|
| Side Dish | 60g | 2.1 oz | 0.3 cups |
| Standard Main | 100g | 3.5 oz | 0.5 cups |
| Hearty Main | 130g | 4.6 oz | 0.65 cups |
| Large Appetites | 150g | 5.3 oz | 0.75 cups |
Dry weight: Always measure paella rice dry before cooking — 100g dry per person is the classic Spanish standard for a main course. • Buffer: For groups of 10+, add 10–15% extra to avoid running short. • Stock ratio: Traditional paella uses a 2:1 liquid-to-rice ratio by volume; increase slightly for softer texture. • Rice type: Bomba or Calasparra rice absorbs up to 3x its volume; standard short-grain absorbs about 2.5x.
Paella is a famous Spanish dish from rice, prepared with saffron, vegetables, chicken and seafood, that cooks together in one single pan and then is served. It comes from the region Valencia, although one knows it as typical food of the whole land Spain. The classic version called Paella valenciana, carries chicken or rabbit, cooked with beans, Bomba-rice and broth.
One considers the beans truly the most important stage, and it has its own way to prepare, that ranges according to the kind of rice food, that one does.
How to Cook Good Paella
The main part of that dish is the rice itself. One favours Spanish Bomba-rice, because it has round form, short grains, absorbs liquids well and stays quite solid during the cooking. Calasparra and Bomba are the ideal knids for use, and they are grown only in Spain.
Calasparra comes from the hills of Murcia, while Bomba spreads beside Valencia in freshwater pools. Even so Bomba sometimes is hardly found. Usually one finds it at Whole Foods or online.
Arroz of Valencia is another kind of short-grain rice, that comes from Spain and is commonly used for paella. It is hardly found, slightly sweet and gives smooth texture after cooking.
The best replacement for rice of paella is the Arborio-rice. While cooking in paella, Arborio becomes more creamy and more chewy, because it does not take so much liquid compared to Bomba. If a recipe is written for Bomba, one must reduce the amount of liquid too around two thirds of the suggested, when one uses Arborio instead.
It widely pays to use slightly less liquid than one hopes. The usual ratio for home cooking is three parts of water for one part of Bomba-rice.
The quality of ingredients matters a lot. Fresh seafood, round Spanish rice and saffron from Spain do make a genuinely big impact. Sweet and bittersweet smoked pepper adds sweet taste, and the slightly sweet smoked Spanish pepper is the best choice.
It gives smoke, scent and nice colour. The mix of seafood can range freely, but shrimp, mussels and squid add wonderful look and texture. Good paella must have socarrat, that is the nice slightly burned rice in the bottom of the pan.
For 100 grams of rice each person one gets a solid main course serving, which means one kilo of rice grains for a ten-person paella. The layer of rice should reach at most one to one and half centimetres thick. If it is thicker, the centre cooks too slowly.
The commonly used sizes of paella pans range between 28 and 40 centimetres, which is enough for four to twelve servings. Big pans are important, because the rice rises upward while it cooks. The heat should stay atminimum, so that the rice does not release starch and the grains stay separate.
